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"If I Forget Thee, Umm Touba...."

"Arab residents have to pay all municipal taxes, but receive in return only a fraction of the municipal services, both in quality and in quantity. The schools lack hundreds of classrooms, and their standard is inferior to the private Islamic schools. Trash removal and other services are beneath contempt. Public gardens, youth clubs, gardening - cannot even be mentioned. The inhabitants of Kafr Akab, located beyond the Kalandia checkpoint, pay municipal taxes and receive no services at all - the municipality says that its employees are afraid to go there."

Surge - A Façade for Changing Disgraced Policy

"Bush and McCain keep repeating the simplistic deceit about the surge, and the media keeps reporting it. Occasionally, voices are raised challenging it, but they do not make the front pages or the lead story on the network news."

Nuclear Proliferation - The Iran Issue: Are we heading for war?

"If the major powers are serious, there are practical ways to mitigate and probably end nuclear crisis in the Middle East. The first is to disarm Israel of her nuclear weapons that would be a sufficient motivation for Iran (or any other neighboring nation) to never think about developing nuclear weapon as a deterrent. A second step would be for the USA, UK and Israel to join the rest of the world in accepting a verifiable Fissban treaty. A third step would be to have Israel sign the NPT, much like Iran, and have her sites monitored by the UN agency. A fourth step would be to empower IAEA so that it can do its monitoring task on nuclear activities everywhere more effectively without being unduly influenced by the nuclear club. Are they willing to take these measures?"

Obama -- the Master Bamboozler

"The illusion of change is a cynical form of bamboozlement. The change offered by Obama is a face-lift, an external makeover. He knows how to push buttons to make people believe he represents what they want him to represent."

Green surcharge could make carbon tax less onerous

"A better alternative for Canada - and for Liberal leader Stephane Dion - would be to make good politics out of the proposed carbon and green surcharge taxes. But the time for Liberal action is getting shorter by the day and Dion has yet to revisit even the single carbon tax system."